Chapter 80: The Terrorist
The man's name was Emmett Milbarge, and he'd arrived at the Buy More that morning with a clipboard, a visitor's badge, and the energy of someone who had been given authority and intended to use all of it.
"Efficiency consultant," Chuck explained, when Simon arrived. "Corporate sent him down to evaluate our operational metrics."
Simon looked at Emmett — mid-forties, glasses, the specific posture of a man who had decided that walking slowly through a space while looking at a clipboard communicated importance.
"He's been cleared," Casey said, from beside Simon, reading the question before Simon asked it. "Top to bottom. He's exactly what he says he is."
"Then our bigger concern," Simon said, checking his watch, "is that Chuck's not here yet."
"He'll show," Casey said.
Chuck arrived six minutes later, slightly out of breath, and was immediately intercepted by Emmett near the Nerd Herd desk. Simon watched Emmett begin what appeared to be a thorough assessment of Chuck's morning arrival procedures and decided not to get involved.
He went to work.
The man appeared twenty minutes into Simon's shift.
He was bald, broad, moving through the store with the patient attention of someone looking for a specific person rather than a specific product. He stopped in front of Simon near the display wall and showed him a photograph.
"Have you seen this person? I was told he works here."
Simon looked at the photograph.
The Intersect gave him a file before his conscious mind had finished processing the face.
Farook Bulsara. Born 1974. Repeat contact with terrorist training infrastructure across three continents. Active threat assessment: high. Current intelligence indicates planned operation against domestic targets.
The photo showed a younger version of Jeff Barnes — scruffier, less recognizable than the man Simon saw every day, but clearly the same person if you knew to look.
"Haven't seen him," Simon said. "We have locations across Southern California — could be at one of the other stores."
Farook looked at him, decided this was probable, and thanked him without warmth before moving away.
Simon watched him go.
Chuck appeared at his elbow thirty seconds later. "Who was that guy? What did he want?"
"He was asking about Jeff," Simon said. "Didn't tell him Jeff was here. Figured it was a debt situation or someone with a grievance."
Chuck exhaled. "That man is a terrorist."
"I know," Simon said.
Casey materialized behind both of them. "What did I miss?"
Simon filled him in. Casey's expression went through a brief internal process, settled on resigned, and produced the only possible conclusion: "We need to go eat yogurt."
The briefing room confirmed what the Intersect had already told Simon.
Casey read from the file that came through on the secure fax: Farook Bulsara, international threat designation, extensive contact with known training camps, current intelligence suggesting active planning against a domestic target.
"Why is an international terrorist looking for Jeff Barnes?" Chuck said.
"That," Casey said, "is exactly why we have the Intersect."
"We need you to get close to Jeff," Sarah said. "Find out what he knows. If there's a connection between him and Farook, Jeff either knows what it is or knows more than he realizes."
Chuck looked like a man being told to defuse a bomb by sitting on it. "You want me to befriend Jeff."
"Or we tranquilize him and do it the other way," Simon offered.
"That's not — I'm not choosing between those two things," Chuck said. "Those are both bad options."
"Someone's coming," Sarah said, looking at the monitor.
On the security feed, Ellie Bartowski was visible at the top of the stairs, looking for Sarah.
"That's my sister," Chuck said.
Ellie's voice came through the monitor: "Sarah, I was hoping to talk to you about Chuck — without him present."
Sarah looked at the camera, then at Chuck. "Of course."
Casey reached over and switched off the monitor feed without further discussion.
"Listening to private conversations is bad tradecraft," Casey said, and left.
Simon followed him out, leaving Chuck alone with his thoughts about what his sister might be saying to his handler.
Casey was in the small kitchen area off the corridor, pouring coffee with the focused attention he brought to all routine tasks.
"Can I ask you something?" Simon said.
"You're going to regardless."
"I want to learn properly," Simon said. "Tradecraft. The actual skills — interrogation, surveillance, counter-surveillance. I've been improvising since September and it's worked, but improvisation has limits."
Casey looked at him over the rim of his mug. The look was assessing in a way that was different from his usual assessment — less skeptical, more considering.
"You already have more than most people who walk through an agency door," Casey said.
"Experience isn't the same as technique," Simon said.
Casey was quiet for a moment. Then he set down the mug. "Interrogation and counter-surveillance are mine to teach. For disguise and covert entry work — Walker's better than I am at those. I'd rather tell you that than waste your time."
"I'll ask Sarah," Simon said.
"For interrogation, wait until after this operation. I'll need time to set something up properly. Best way to learn it is in a controlled environment before you try it live."
"Understood."
"In the meantime," Casey said, "go ask Walker about the other two."
Simon nodded. "I appreciate it."
Casey picked up his mug. "Don't thank me. Just be useful when it counts."
Ellie left twenty minutes later. Sarah came back into the briefing room with the expression of someone who had handled a conversation carefully and was filing it away.
Chuck, who had been waiting with visible restraint, opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Casey took him by the arm. "Work," he said, and steered him toward the stairs.
Simon waited until they were gone.
"Sarah," he said. "I have a request."
"Go ahead."
"I want to learn disguise work and lock technique. Properly. Casey said you're better at both than he is, which I'm guessing cost him something to admit."
Sarah looked at him with the slight smile she used when something had landed correctly. "It cost him quite a bit, yes."
"Will you teach me?"
"Of course," she said. "When do you want to start?"
"Now works," Simon said. "If you have time."
Sarah looked at the briefing room around them — the cleared table, the dark monitors, the quiet of a space between operations.
"We have time," she said. "Pull that chair over."
[Reader Event Active]
500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter
10 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter
Thanks for reading!
20+advance chapters on P1treon Soulforger